22/02/2019

21/02/2019

20/02/2019

13/02/2019

Sennheiser Sound Academy

UK – Sennheiser Sound Academy training courses are now online for 2019. Designed for RF technicians, AV integrators, sound engineers, designers or consultants, a wide variety of courses are now available including Audio for Meeting Rooms and Wireless Audio for AV Integrators, held at Sennheiser UK in Marlow and Wireless Mics Monitoring Essentials, held at Stage Electrics in Bristol.

Run by Sennheiser’s customer development and application engineers (CDAE) team, the courses are aimed at both new and existing users and will provide the skills and confidence to operate multichannel wireless systems, covering acoustics and electrotechnology, wireless mics and monitoring, antenna technology, microphone technology, frequency management and wireless monitoring.

Each course offers a combination of classroom training, which includes hands-on practical modules and eLearning.

To be held on Wednesday 24th April 2019 at AC-ET's northern office in Leeds, attendees will learn how to harness the full power of the dLive range from qualified engineers assisted by AC-ET's dedicated Audio sales division and will end the day with certified dLive engineer status.

Owing to the dLive's very intuitive user interface and world class audio quality, the training session will provide an ideal hands-on introduction to the full range for audio professionals working in touring, broadcast, prestige installations, theatres and corporate events.

The event begins at 9:30am with tea/coffee, gets underway at 10am, and finishes at approximately 3pm. A buffet lunch will be provided, plus a tour of AC-ET's facilities.

15th March 2019

Green Hippo Week at Backstage Academy a success for Visual Design students First of many manufacturer weeks planned for 2019

UK – Green Hippo has been visiting Backstage Academy and providing Hippotizer training for a number of years now, during which time it’s seen the education facility grow from strength to strength.

Therefore, when the Academy decided to hold a dedicated Green Hippo Week recently, in which ten first-year students and six second-year students participated, the manufacturer provided maximum support by sending senior product specialist, Lanz Short, along for the duration.

Under the tutelage of him, and Backstage Academy’s course leader in Live Visual Design & Production, Graham Thorne, the students were tasked with producing a project – a show, performance or event – resourced with all the ingredients that they might have expected in a Masterchef kitchen. These ranged from Notch, Maya and Isadora software platforms, while in the hardware domain Hippotizers, Avo lighting controllers, MIDI controllers, Blackmagic three-camera set-up (for recording and live streaming) even Kinect sensors were all on offer to enhance the experience.

Explaining the programme, Graham Thorne said the experience was largely classroom based and project focused. “We put the students in Studio C, gave them an overview, along with three options and then just said ‘go’. We wanted to be able to see their process and encouraged them to make mistakes; for instance some were plugging in lights before creating a mood board.

“At the same time I wanted to invite a rep from Green Hippo for two days but in the end we were privileged to have Lanz for the entire week.”

And the Green Hippo man was certainly impressed, particularly with how adventurous some of the creations were. “It is clear that Backstage Academy is producing pro technicians that will hit the ground running by the time they graduate,” he exclaimed at the end of the experience.

“Green Hippo’s media servers are extremely popular in the events sector, with their powerful real-time workflow, and it is to the benefit of both the graduates and Green Hippo that Backstage Academy has the ability to produce the most knowledgeable Hippotizer operators. I enjoyed watching and following their progress, it’s always interesting to see people’s first experience with Hippotizer.”

Based on the questions he was asked on the opening day, Lanz planned a mini lecture and product demo for the following morning relating to content creation and projector positions based on the audience eye position. “Once the project was up to speed and everyone started working through their role I would be in the room observing, offering advice and giving mini tutorials on any task required,” he said.

“The Hippo Week team was full of ideas and highly ambitious at the planning stage. The knowledge they had gained in their first few months at Backstage Academy had given them that drive to aim high, my only challenge was to get across that not every show has to be as technically complex as possible, but it did make them use a lot of Hippotizer’s features so that made me smile.”

The students decided to test the DMX component in Hippotizer with their Avolites Quartz lighting desk. “They had it up and running without my aid and in the end they decided to control the show with a combination of parameters from the lighting desk, and parts of the show being operated by Hippotizer’s built in real-time timeline,” Lanz continued.”

Summarising the week, Graham Thorne said, “This was not a competition, they were all winners. Instead, we gave the students some useful feedback at the end.”

And Lanz Short echoed the sentiments. “Hippo Week now feels essential to get the students to fully understand the ‘why’ rather than the ‘how’. The ‘how’ is easy, the ‘why’ needs more thought and Hippo Week gives them the time to think.

When I reflected afterwards, I saw real potential in the team so I decided to write an email to everyone telling them it wasn’t just a case of popping in, but that this was only the start of a dialogue that I hope runs for years to come. Hippo Week really is a win win for Backstage Academy and Green Hippo.”

Miles Marsden, industry partnerships director for Backstage added: “This is our first dedicated Manufacturer Week of 2019 and it has set the standard for a vigorous programme to follow with our other industry partners.”

Commented Kira O’Brien, a first-year student on the Live Visual Design & Production course: "I really enjoyed my experience during Hippo Week. It gave me the chance to increase my knowledge of the technical side of a production. I learnt how to do a projection study and projection map three very different surfaces, including a half cylinder and model castle. I had very little knowledge of all areas of the industry before joining the LVDP course and I really appreciate opportunities like Green Hippo week as it gives me experience working first hand with the media servers, putting on a small scale production."

In picture: Lanz Short and Graham Thorne line up (centre) with Backstage Academy students.

12th March 2019

Yamaha and SW19 Studios Welcome Sound Engineers to the World of RIVAGE

UK - Yamaha Commercial Audio and London’s SW19 Studios are joining forces in mid-March to host an exclusive, two-day Welcome to the World of RIVAGE event. Taking place on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th March at SW19 Studios in Wimbledon, it comprises a free series of technical training seminars which offer professional and aspiring sound engineers an opportunity to get up close and personal with Yamaha’s RIVAGE PM7 and PM10 digital mixing systems.

Day 1 will focus on showcasing RIVAGE PM7 as a the perfect solution for great, reliable sound for live venue and festival engineers, sculpting exceptional audio for today’s touring bands. Yamaha product specialists and SW19 staff will be on hand to deliver an overview of the system, highlighting key features and demonstrating its applications in a high quality rehearsal environment.

There will be plenty of time for hands-on exploration during the 90 minute sessions, which will help guests to feel confident navigating the console and taking advantage of the many features, networking with I/O and being ‘festival ready’ for when they find themselves behind a RIVAGE console this summer.

For those wanting extra information about the sound quality, a special ‘critical listening session’ will be set up in one of the studios, allowing guests to experience the full detail of the system pre-amps, including the Rupert Neve Designs SILK Red and Blue emulations.

Day 2 offers those with some experience of RIVAGE and/or those who want to delve deep into the system. Through a series of bookable one-on-one sessions, guests can book to spend time with a Yamaha Product specialist and a RIVAGE system. Content will be customised to the needs of the guest - everything from converting an existing show file through to specifying and setting up a complex system for an upcoming tour. These intimate consultation sessions will be designed to help push you forward in your RIVAGE journey.

Participation in this event is free, but pre-registration is essential. Please book a place via http://bit.ly/worldofrivage

Places are limited and will be secured on a first come first served basis, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Sessions will be taking place on Thursday March 7th at 14:00 / 16:00 / 18:00 / 20:00 and on Friday arch 8th at 10:00 / 12:00 / 14:00 / 16:00

SW19 Studios is located at 62 Weir Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 8UG.

26th February 2019

Backstage Academy Partners with Midas Consoles

UK – Backstage Academy, the leading live event production educational facility, has agreed a sponsorship deal with Midas Consoles, which will see the industry-leading manufacturer providing mixing desks for training purposes.

Commenting on the new relationship, Miles Marsden, Backstage Academy’s industry partnerships director, said this would be a further boost to the sound component of the Live Events Production three-year BA (Hons) degree course.

“Everyone knows that Midas produces state-of-the-art mixing desks in the analogue world, setting standards on major tours worldwide throughout the ‘90s. They have extended this product format into the digital world, with the M32 console. We are delighted they have loaned us a pair of these desks and DL32 I/O boxes for our students to learn on.”

Midas's design goal in creating the M32 was to integrate the classic Midas sound with advanced modern technology to completely redefine and future-proof what a medium-format live console can offer.

Joel Perry, artist relations for Midas, has known Marsden for 20 years. “We are pleased to be supporting Backstage Academy with Midas products and look forward to utilising the space at the Academy and Production Park for training in the future. Having access to these excellent facilities is a real bonus as we help to inspire the next generation of mix engineers. It’s a win-win situation.”

The partnership continues Backstage Academy’s strategy to link with the best manufacturers and brands. States marketing and commercial director, Jack Scarr: “This partnership is key to the success of the new live sound engineering pathway of our Live Events Production degree course, which we started in September 2018.”

26th February 2019

Gary Oldman Inspires Students on Return to Rose Bruford College

UK – Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman returned to Rose Bruford College, on Thursday 14 February 2019, for an inspirational talk to students.

In an entertaining and thought-provoking conversation with film producer, collaborator and friend Douglas Urbanski, the actor, writer and producer gave a fascinating insight into his career.

Reminiscing about his time studying at the College in the 1970s and how his training helped shape his career, Oldman explained that he got his break into the industry through determination and hard work, having written to countless agents and casting directors.

Amongst the 300-strong audience in The Rose Theatre was 21 year-old final year BA (Hons) Acting student Marie-Claire Wood, who took time out from rehearsing her role as Ava in the upcoming College production of Suicide at Stratford Circus Arts Centre to attend the event.

She said: “Gary stressed the importance of discipline, imagination and hard work as lessons he had first learnt at Rose Bruford College that stayed with him throughout his career.

As I enter the industry it's encouraging to hear someone tell us not to be shy in contributing, but instead to be driven and involved in our work.”

Oldman’s journey from ‘a lad from New Cross who was told he’d only ever play Puck’ to becoming a successful Hollywood actor resonated with 20 year-old Acting Foundation student Yadel Gebeyehu.

He said: “I’ve learnt from Gary that if you want to have success and last in the industry, you have to want it more than anything. Coming from a similar background, his closing words of ‘if I can do it, so can you’ were truly inspirational.”

During the visit, Oldman also met with staff and went on a tour of the campus, which included his old classrooms and the iconic Barn Theatre, where he performed in several productions as a student.

College principal Clarie Middleton, who hosted the visit, said: “I’d like to thank Gary and Douglas for taking time out of their busy schedule to engage with and inspire our students as they prepare for a career in the industry. Hearing how passionate Gary is about the craft of acting and how he still applies his training from the College will, I’m no doubt, strike a chord with our students for years to come.”

photos: Robert Workman

26th February 2019

Seven ESTA TSP Documents in Public Review

Seven documents – six draft standards and one informational book – are posted on the ESTA Technical Standards Program website for public review through 8 April 2019. All are available at no cost at http://estalink.us/pr. In alphanumeric order, they are:

BSR E1.6-3, Selection and use of serially manufactured chain hoists in the Entertainment Industry

ANSI E1.6-3-2012 is being revised. It is one of a 4-part set of standards covering motorized rigging used in the entertainment and special events industry. This standard addresses minimum safety requirements for the selection and use of serially manufactured chain hoists, having capacity of two tons or less. The standard is being updated to address outdated references, errors, and new technologies.

BSR ES1.9, Crowd Management

This standard is part of a suite of standards currently in development to address requirements for special event safety. It defines "crowd management" as distinguished from "crowd control," provides an overview of crowd management theory, and applies this theory to reasonably foreseeable risks associated with live events. The standard identifies minimum standards and requirements, and provides suggestions to help event organizers make reasonable choices for their events.

BSR E1.21, Entertainment Technology--Temporary Structures Used for Technical Production of Outdoor Entertainment Events

ANSI E1.21-2013 is being revised to enhance the requirements for operations management plans, designated person responsibilities, and related requirements. ANSI E1.21 establishes a minimum acceptable level of design and performance parameters to ensure structural reliability, safety, and to establish a reasonable standard for care temporary special event structures.

ANSI E1.47-2017 is being revised to expand and to add clarity to its recommendations for inspections of rigging systems used in the entertainment industry.

BSR E1.59, Entertainment Technology--Object Transform Protocol (OTP)

This standard describes a mechanism to transfer object transform information such as position, orientation and velocity over an IP network using a subset of the [ACN] protocol suite. It covers data format, data protocol, data addressing, and network management. Data transmitted is intended to coordinate visual and audio elements of a production and should not be used for safety critical applications.

The standard covers mass-produced portable platforms, stair units and ramps used with those platforms, and choral risers, designed to be used for the presentation of music concerts, dramatic plays, fashion shows, and other special events. The units covered by this standard are of a size and weight that allows them to be moved and erected by one or two people. Larger, heavier units are outside the scope of this standard. The scope also covers the railings provided as fall protection accessories, and to the legging systems.

Introduction to Modern Atmospheric Effects, 6th edition

The Introduction to Modern Atmospheric Effects was written to be an introductory text on fog and haze effects, offering a factual presentation on all types of popular atmospheric fog effects. A 6th edition has been developed to give some information about formal monitoring techniques and air sampling methods that may be needed to control fog exposure. The new text is designed to introduce the reader to these monitoring methods; the details on how to do air sampling are given in other publicly available sources cited by the Introduction. This new 6th edition is offered for review to give the public a chance to point out errors or omissions and to make suggestions for possible improvements.

22nd February 2019

Atlona Updates and Expands Accredited Training Programmes

As the demand grows for professional training and certification in the AV over IP industry, Atlona has updated and expanded the quality, relevance, and value of the accredited online courses offered through the Atlona Education Portal.

Specifically, Atlona has streamlined and revised its 100 and 200 level online certification courses. These changes provide the most up-to-date instruction and information for rolling out, configuring, and using Atlona’s complete suite of AV over IP products and solutions. Atlona has also added new accredited courses for its Velocity IP-based control AV control platform.

“This update aligns with the evolution of Atlona as a company, as we help our customers transition from foundational HDMI and HDBaseT technologies to IP networks,” said Ken Eagle, director of field training and technical sales, Atlona. “AV professionals will now gain comprehensive knowledge, tools, and industry best practices on the entire end-to-end process. This spans the design, roll-out, and integration of AV over IP systems, as well as set-up, management and control of the underlying AV network.

The Atlona Education Portal is one of many training resources Atlona offers. Atlona’s overarching goals are to teach established and aspiring AV industry professionals how to maximize the company’s industry-leading AV and control solutions, as well as the broader array of AV over IP technologies on the market today. Atlona also offers a video on demand education video library and periodic webinars.

For those seeking more personalised training and hands-on product experience, Atlona will offer eight Atlona AV Factory Training events in 2019, including four to be held at its San Jose, CA headquarters. Internationally, Atlona will offer four multi-lingual events at its Zurich facility in English, French, or German. Eagle expects to also announce up to 18 dates for Atlona’s 2019 Roadshow.

Atlona’s current course offerings has been updated to include 100-Technology Specialist, 200-Atlona Certified Technology, AV over IP-Technical Networking Certification, and Velocity Control Certification. The newly revised course materials, as well as quizzes and tests, have been approved for AVIXA and CEDIA certifications and credits. These credentials, which are awarded upon completion of a course or program, signify the qualifications achieved by AV professionals, and are especially valuable to those seeking to advance within the industry.

The Atlona Education Portal is accessible to anyone at http://www.atlona.com/training.

21st February 2019

White Light Commits to Training Days Across UK

UK – White Light has recently held a series of open days across the country to allow students and clients to engage with the very latest technology.

As a company that is passionate about investing in the very latest technology, WL is just as passionate about nurturing the next generation of industry professionals. Over the past few months, the company has held a range of open days and training courses which cover a variety of disciplines.

These include the Audio KnoWLedge Day that was held last month at WL’s state-of-the-art Studio15. Working alongside some of the biggest audio manufacturers including SHURE, Riedel, DPA Microphones, Yamaha, d&b audiotechnik, K-array and Astro Spatial Audio, WL hosted a day in which students could get hands-on with the latest audio technology, take part in Q&A forums as well as have one-on-one sessions with industry professionals. The day was organised by WL’s head of audio Lee Dennison who comments: “With the KnoWLedge Day, we wanted to offer students something which would prove invaluable yet which they wouldn’t receive anywhere else. It’s not often they get the opportunity to speak to industry leaders about their products so this was their own ‘audio trade show’ where they were given time to ask those important questions and have quality hands on tuition they wouldn’t normally be afforded. The feedback we received was fantastic and it’s great to work with such highly regarded manufacturers and make their products so accessible.” WL also used the day to allow students to register for their crewing database for when they graduate.

On the same date as the Audio KnoWLedge day, WL also supported the New Technology Showcase. Taking place at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and held in conjunction with the ALD, the Showcase was aimed at lighting designers and technicians to explore and compare the latest lighting technologies on the market. Over 60 students attended and some of the latest lighting manufacturers on show included ETC, Robe and Martin. WL’s managing director Bryan Raven comments: “We have supported the New Technology Showcase since it first began. It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to experiment with the latest lighting technology and get to grips with products that they will be using frequently throughout their professional life.”

Alongside this, WL has also hosted a range of Hog Training Days alongside ETC at universities across the country. Co-led by WL’s product manager Stuart Porter, WL was recently at LIPA where it offered students Hog console training. Stuart comments: “As part of an incentive to introduce students to the benefits of using the Hog console, we are travelling across the country to familiarise them with the product by offering first-hand training. With the Hog console not only being extremely affordable, easy-to-use and having more options than ever before, it’s one which we’re finding many professionals are now drawing on; hence we are introducing it to students during their formative years.” Last week, WL also held Zero88 Training at its state-of-the-art Studio15, which offered participants in-depth training with Zero88 consoles.

Alongside external training, WL has held in-house training for its staff. This includes lighting, audio and video, with the company’s award-winning SmartStage technology recently used on both Discovery Eurosport’s Winter Olympics coverage and ITV Sport’s Russia World Cup broadcasts.

Bryan concludes: “As an organisation, we not only want to invest in the latest technology but ensure we understand exactly how this works; something we can then impart to our customers and the next generation of industry professionals. Being renowned for our customer service, it’s important that we share our knowledge and offer bespoke training that simply isn’t available anywhere else; something we will continue to provide throughout 2019.”

20th February 2019

AC-ET to Host Free NovaStar UK Training Event

UK – A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd. (AC-ET) has announced that, in partnership with leading video brands including NovaStar and PROLIGHTS, it will be hosting a “Seeing is Believing” UK training and demonstration event on 6th March 2019.

Held at leading Live Events community, Production Park in Wakefield, technical experts from NovaStar and PROLIGHTS will provide hands-on product training focusing on the key features of NovaStar's award-winning LED display processing solutions, as well as how to operate and specify them for different projects.

Attendees will get an insight into NovaStar's extensive product lineup that includes the Taurus next generation multimedia player for smart display systems; the MCTRL660 PRO controller, which provides an excellent ultra-low latency solution when paired with NovaStar's A8s and A10s receiving cards; and the InfoComm award-winning MCTRL4K controller, which utilises the latest HDR technology to show more details and bring pictures to life.

In addition, the day will give an overview of PROLIGHTS' flagship OmegaPIX modular LED displays, which feature NovaStar's A8s card to deliver stunning image quality for professional applications. The card perfectly calibrates every pixel for incredible image consistency and a smooth picture.

Video content will be driven by Green Hippo's versatile Hippotizer V4+ media servers range, and product specialists for all featured video technologies will be on hand to answer any questions.

This is a free event and complimentary lunch and refreshments will be provided throughout the day.

If you are involved with or interested in LED display technology, then this is one event not to be missed!